Other Social Responses During Infancy

The infant makes other responses which are indicative of very simple social behavior. Upon the approach of a familiar person the fourmonths-old infant very often raises his arms and stiffens his body slightly in anticipation of being lifted. He also shows some delight upon the approach of the familiar person. Of course, some infants make these responses earlier, but by the age of four months the majority are likely to do so. Infants of this age have some remembrance of events and often seem to look for a face that has disappeared, gazing for some little time toward the place they last saw it. Sometimes infants of four months chuckle or laugh when familiar persons resort to certain playful activities. A month or two later many infants show greater development of social behavior, and respond to other social stimulations. With the development of motor skill, adaptive behavior, attention, discrimination, and language, the infant increases not only the scope of his responses to the presence and activities of other persons, but also the number and types of social situations to which he can respond.

How Infants Respond to the Presence of Other Infants

Babies at four and five months of age frequently seem to be unaware of each other's presence, even though near each other. By the age of six months, however, they actively look around and attract each other's attention. Thus, the infant of six or seven months may touch another one who is near, or he may coo, or hinder the other's activities in some way. We have observed a few babies of five to eight months, placing them two at a time near each other on a bed or couch. The older ones showed distinct evidence of being aware of the presence of each other. Thus, an eight-months-old infant when placed near one of five months reached out and stroked the younger one and then took hold of her arm, cooing, gurgling, and smiling. The younger infant had given no previous sign of seeing the other and was cooing contentedly. Upon being touched, she stopped cooing, turned her head, and looked at the other baby. She did not, however, put out her hand and try to touch the older one. Responses to the presence and activities of adults and older children are observable at an earlier age than are responses to other infants of about the same age, undoubtedly because the former provide more adequate stimuli.